


Monsters in Space

by dragonknighttara



Category: Wolf 359 (Radio)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-26
Updated: 2015-12-26
Packaged: 2018-05-09 10:44:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5536949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonknighttara/pseuds/dragonknighttara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One Shot, Post Season 2 - may contain varying spoilers for the end of Season 2. Inspired by this post by randomdraggon: http://randomdraggon.tumblr.com/post/135721109002/ya-know-what-where-are-my-horror-fics-where</p>
<p>  The Hephastus is still under failing conditions and Cutter has offered them a second chance to give him the information he wants. Plus, Doug isn't quite the same after the Decmia virus is exposed to Wolf 359's radiation. Minkowski and Lovelace are both coping as best they can.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monsters in Space

The air ducts rattle and echo with the sounds of claws and roars. From time to time the entire station shudders and lets out groans of protest. No one is surprised to find the occasional severed tentacle on the way to their stations each morning, shriveled and a little brown. It’s business as usual to dump them into the nearest waste shoot to preserve whatever water and bio mass the remains have to offer.

It’s worse at night, or at least the times they have designated as “night,” when their daily activity begins to die down. The Hephaestus is never not being barraged by the strange radiation of Wolf 359, but ignoring that fact becomes more difficult when exhaustion and frustration set in at the end of a long day. 

Lovelace finds Minkowski in the tiny brig long after they should be sleeping. Hera is consumed in running repairs and calibrations that must be put on hold until the most pressing daily problems are resolved and the silence of her intense focus almost makes it seem like she’s missing again. The loud crashing and roars of frustration are beyond ignoring now. Not that getting a full night’s rest was ever feasible on this ship - Lovelace has been familiar with that truth much longer than anyone else. 

“Coffee?” Minkowski mutters, barely glancing up as Lovelace enters. “I must be tired enough - it almost tastes like the real thing.”

Lovelace shakes her head and sits down. “I still don’t trust Selberg’s concoctions.”

Minkowski nods. “Still thinking about the transmission?”

There are a few loud crashes somewhere near the observation deck. No one has really bothered to tell Hilbert exactly what’s going on, but it’s hardly much of a mystery at this point. 

“Cutter is just prodding - he doesn’t know anything. Nothing’s lost. Nothing’s broke. Effiel was never missing.”

Minkowski’s jaw cuts a firm line, like she’s trying harder than usual to mask her fury. “But it has been the exact length of time for a typical transmission to reach earth if you factor in the same amount of time for his response. I’m still not convinced they don’t have other ways of spying on us somehow. Maybe one that wasn’t active until Hilbert…I’m just not sure what we can say out loud anymore.”

“He’s calling our bluff.” Lovelace is nothing if not calm assurance when it comes to her feelings about exactly what is waiting for them back on earth. “Offering us a chance at an early rescue is just trying to force our hand.”

“But we are running out of supplies quickly. And the ship is barely holding it together.”

“We aren’t giving in.”

“No I know, but…” Minkowski looks pensive. “I don’t know if we can survive another incident. Not the ones we’ve been seeing out here. We’re not prepared for this.”

“We’re all worried-“ Lovelace starts to say.

Boom. _Boom_. Rattle-rattle-rattle.

She sighs. “Sometimes I want a plant monster for a punching bag too.”

Minkowski arches a brow. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

Lovelace laughs. “Doug was telling me…”

A shrieking howl echoes through the entire station, though it’s difficult to discern if it’s in pain or triumph. 

“Hard to say if he’s coping better than we are.” She adds dryly. 

Minkowski wraps both hands around her mug and clutches it tightly. “I keep telling him it’s not his fault we’re in this mess.”

“No, and we’d do it again for anyone on board except maybe Selberg, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re waiting for all of our resources to run out before the end of the mission.”

“Yes. And as Captain of this ship, I have to decide if we face certain death out here or the chance of surviving by contacting Cutter and telling him… well, anything. Giving him even just part of the information for a rescue.”

“We can’t trust him.” Lovelace pushes the words through clenched teeth, feeling heat rise in her chest.

“Commander?” Hera’s voice echoes tentatively through the room. “Officer Eiffel just returned to his quarters. He may need some minor medical attention, but the side effects of the Decima virus seem to have receded for now.”

Minkowski stands. “On my way. Thanks, Hera.”

“Of course, Commander.”

Lovelace watches her go, but doesn’t follow immediately. The familiar ache of watching the Hephaestus fall apart is no less nauseating, but it seemed more realized than last time. None of her crew had spent their nights fighting plant monsters in the air ducts, but they had other monsters to worry about. They were always fighting something. Always falling apart. 

Cutter would make monsters of them all before the mission was over.

 

 


End file.
